The Indie Sci-Fi Revolution

In late 2012 Hugh Howey was an unknown writer of science fiction, even to most dedicated science fiction readers. And yet he had sold over 250,000 books, optioned film rights to the legendary Ridley Scott, and agreed a six figure book deal with major publisher Simon & Schuster. All this before his dystopian sci-fi novel had even, in traditional terms, been published.

Howey has gone on to become the poster boy for a small but quickly growing band of sci-fi and fantasy authors who are independently publishing their own books, and making a small fortune in the process. These ‘indie authors’ are surfing the crest of a wave driven by the rise of the e-book, the smartphone and the Amazon Kindle. And the popularity of the sci-fi & fantasy genres is putting them at the cutting edge of the revolution.

Sci-fi and fantasy writers have always had an air of mystery. Men and women in high castles sharing their outlandish visions of other worlds. We know them by their attention catching names; Issac Asimov, Ursula Le Guin, China Mieville. Or the enigmatic middle initial employed to give that air of mystery; Arthur C Clarke. Robert A Heinlein. Iain M Banks. J R R Tolkien. Their books are proclaimed as winners of the Hugo or Nebula awards, as though the powers of the universe had decreed that you must read these books.

These mysterious authors and their wondrous stories fascinated a generation of young sci-fi and fantasy fans, growing up in the sprawling suburbs and grey cities of the mundane world. Through the decades sci-fi evolved as more than just B-Movies and pulp fiction, but as part of an escapist counter-culture. It could be hard to find. Books had to be hunted out in the back rooms of 2nd hand bookshops. Finding a stash of Analog or New Worlds magazines at a car boot sale in Bracknell was the geek equivalent of striking gold. And many sci-fi fans held the same dream, that one day it might be their middle initial gracing the cover of a sci-fi novel. A dream that, until very recently, seemed nigh on impossible.

And then came the internet.

In the land of the technically incompetent, the semi-HTML literate geek is king.

Sci-fi culture had already grown to embrace comics, role-playing games and video games, and a rapidly multiplying number of film and television franchises. But with the internet came the realisation that, even if you were the only sci-fi geek in your family, school or entire town, you were not alone. There were thousands and even millions of geeks, all over the world, and now they could talk to each other. And sci-fi fans didn’t just populate the internet with Star Trek sites, they were building the technology of the web itself itself. In the land of the technically incompetent, the semi-HTML literate geek is king. And geek culture took to its new status with gusto.

Sci-fi and fantasy writers now have a celebrity status that reaches far beyond sci-fi fandom. Neil Gaiman isn’t just a rockstar writer of kick-ass fantasy, he’s the leader of a tribe of 1.8 million Twitter followers that makes him one of the best known entertainment brands in the world. Cory Doctorow doesn’t just write groundbreaking visions of the near future, he’s influencing the world of today as a leading voice of tech culture. Being a sci-fi writer is now seriously cool, and seriously big business. And tens of thousands of people are after the job.

Until very recently, getting a gig as a sci-fi writer meant penetrating the labyrinthine world of sci-fi publishing. The major sci-fi imprints like Del Rey, Tor, Gollancz and Orbit have been gatekeeping what does or does not reach the shelves of major bookshops – and hence the imagination of most readers – for many decades. Some argue that those gatekeepers ensure quality in pursuit of creativity, others that they stifle diversity in pursuit of profits. The truth is probably equal parts of both. But the gatekeepers have lost control of the gate, and a mob of ambitious wannabe sci-fi writers are pushing their way through.

In early 2010 Amanda Hocking was a struggling, unpublished writer living in a tiny apartment in Minnesota when she chose to self publish one of her completed manuscripts. Amazon’s independent publishing platform Kindle Direct Publishing had then been active for just over two years. But the platform, which allows writers to self publish an ebook to anyone with a Kindle device for up to 70% royalty, was still unproven. Hocking uploaded her first book to the Kindle store, the Twilight inspired urban fantasy Switched, expecting only to earn a few hundred dollars to pay outstanding bills. Six months later Hocking had sold 150,00 copies of her Trylle trilogy, and is now estimated to have earned over $2.5M from Amazon ebook sales alone.

The time and discipline required to write a great book are still beyond all but a very few.

The roster of authors joining Amanda Hocking in the ‘Kindle Millionaires’ club has grown steadily. Fantasy author J.R.Rain has sold a reported 400,000 books through the store. Between them Tina Folsom’s 14 paranormal romances have sold over 300,000 copies. B V Larsen and H P Mallory, both prolific authors with dozens of novels for sale, have reported sales of over 200,00 copies each. Brutal economics underly the massive popularity of the Kindle platform with indie writers. With a 70% royalty, compared to as little as 5% offered by major publishers, writers stand to keep much more of the profits of their labour.

Tens of thousands of indie writers are now flooding the Amazon store, and its competitors; Apple iBooks and Kobo, with a tidal wave of indie published sci-fi books. A recent hunt for quality self-published sci-fi books conducted by The Guardian received over 800 recommendations, but found only 5 worthy of publicising to readers. Self-publishing an ebook is technically within the reach of almost anyone who wants their share of stardom, but the time and discipline required to write a great book are still beyond all but a very few.

But for those who can, indie publishing may now be the first choice for talented young writers. At least Hugh Howey believes so. “Self-publishing is the best way to launch a career.” Claims the worlds bestselling indie author. Rather than spend years whooing agents and editors, writers can now get their best work directly to readers. “Your books never go out of print. Both the ebook and the print on demand book will be available for decades. And you own your work forever.”

Howey’s words reflect the attitude of many indie writers, for whom self publishing is as much about taking and keeping control of their own creativity as it is about becoming the next Stephen King. But Howey is clear that in the age of indie publishing, it is readers who chose the sci-fi stars of tomorrow. “You will be responsible for connecting with readers, for promoting your works, for answering emails, for all the things that give your work a fighting chance. If you aren’t interested in doing these things, self-publishing is not the way to go.”

Wool by Hugh Howey
Mankind clings to survival in underground Silos, where dystopian government rules and justice is harsh. But is the world above all that it seems? Gritty storytelling built around a classic Hard SF concept.

Switched by Amanda Hocking
Wendy Everly is just an ordinary young woman, until she meets Finn Holmes and discovers her true royal heritage. Fans of Twilight will enjoy this urban fantasy saga.

Theft of Swords by Michael J Sullivan
Epic fantasy may have gone to the dark side, but Thief of Swords drags it back to the more light hearted and humorous side of sword & sorcery.

Adrift on the Sea of Rains by Ian Sales
A group of astronauts marooned on the Moon, a forgotten Nazi artefact and a quest through parallel dimensions, all wrapped up in classic golden era sci-fi style. What more could you ask for?

The Vorrh by Brian Catling
Bakelite robots lie broken – their hard shells cracked by human desire – and an inquisitive Cyclops waits for his keeper and guardian, growing in all directions. A classic of weird fiction praised by the great Alan Moore himself.

40 thoughts on “The Indie Sci-Fi Revolution”

I think your top five might be off, Damien. Matthew Mather sold a a ton of Cyberstorm and A.G Riddle has been moving The Atlantis Gene like crazy. I suspect both of those are outperforming some of the books up there. The Atlantis Gene has to be well north of 500K sold by now. Possibly more. Cyberstorm has a film deal at 20th Century Fox.

Great article…and you are correct there are many indie SF authors whose names are unknown by most readers, and yet they are still earning five, six, and in some cases seven-figure salaries. The other thing to keep in mind that even for those that want to one day become traditionally published, self-publishing first is (as Hugh pointed out) a good option. A number of the people called out in your article have signed at least one traditional deal which technically makes them hybrid authors.

Funny, being the next Stephen King is kind of my dream. I’ve been self-publishing for close to a year now. While I haven’t exactly had the success I’ve always dreamed about, I am happy that I chose to self-publish, and thanks to the opportunities it provides me, I’ve been able to reach a growing number of readers who are interested in what I have to say and what I’ve written. Hopefully someday I’ll be able to stand with Hugh Howey and say that without self-publishing, I wouldn’t be the writer I am today.

Reblogged this on obzervashunal : looking @ the Universe… and commented:
More and more I find myself eyeing this option. I use to worry about not being ‘hungry’ enough, but of late I have come across so many stories of self-publishers doing it themselves that I realize I have nothing to lose by daring to believe in my work and myself.

Reblogged this on Ryan Boren and commented:
I’ve spent many a night consuming indie sci-fi novels and short stories one after the other on a Kindle. There are great series like Wool and Spinward Fringe out there as well as a whole lot of fun genre.

I’ve been closely watching the growth of independent publishing, especially in the fantasy/sci-fi genre. As I’ve been gearing up to launch my own first book into the world, I’ve decide that self-publishing is an adventure worth taking, and much of my courage comes from the writers you mentioned.

Reblogged this on Book Reviews & Giveaways and commented:
Accurate and entertaining article worth a read. I agree with Theft of Swords being more lighthearted. The entire series is a great read and the best books I’ve listened to in a very long time. They are also very well edited. There are so many Indie publications that would be fantastic reads with a good editing job.

Shameless bit of self-advertising here: I want to be one of those badasses, “[living] in high castles, sharing outlandish visions of other worlds.” I wrote a book and it’s totally free up on my blog (I’m trying to see if my writing is worth reading). I’d love any feedback. Like, any at all. Thanks!

Reblogged this on Brookie's Blog and commented:
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, but felt it was out of my reach. Now, I’m not so sure … If I’m one of those few who has the ability to devote time to this worthy endeavor, and the true talent to back it up. It works in my head, but….

Reblogged this on borrowedladder and commented:
An amazing story of success or multiple successes which in turn could change the face of the science fiction and fantasy world or the entertainment industry all together at some point. It is quite interesting what the internet has made possible already and where the future of technology might lead.

Thanks for sharing your ideas on this. It is a question I’m asking myself recently: how to go about publishing? It seems impossible to get a foot in the door with an actual publishing house, and thanks to the internet, self-publishing has become so much more accessible. My reservations stem from the fact that you mentioned in your article, that most self-published books are not good enough to make an actual publishing cut; that scares me a little, when considering whether or not to put my own work out there, only for it to get lost in the shuffle of the masses. Thanks for getting the thoughts flowing on this topic.